PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH KHIDMAT CARDS FROM MARCH 23

Lahore: Punjab government has decided to launch Punjab Khidmat Card programme from March 23^rd for which formal approval was given by Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif at a high level meeting, here today. Financial assistance will be provided to extremely low-income people of the province through Punjab Khidmat Cards while health and educational facilities will also be extended through the card under a phased programme.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the government is implementing various projects for improving the living standard of the people and providing them maximum relief. He said that government has also decided to launch Punjab Khidmat Cards for providing relief to the poorest of the poor segments of the society.

Former Federal Minister Shaukat Tareen, Advisor to Prime Minister Dr. Musadaq Malik, Provincial Ministers, Assembly Members, Chief Secretary, senior government officials and experts from private sector were also present in the meeting which also considered setting up of Social Protection Authority, expanding the scope of Qarz-e-Hasna Scheme, project of establishment of Rozgar Bank and launching of health insurance scheme.

He said that all out resources will be provided for raising the living standard of the poor. He said that Punjab Khidmat Cards programme is a very important welfare project under which financial assistance will be provided to the extremely low income people. He said that the name and national identity card number of the head of the family will be engraved on Punjab Khidmat Card. He said that Social Protection Authority will be set up to consolidate all welfare-oriented programmes of Punjab government.

He said that the revolutionary programme of provision of interest-free loans under Chief Minister Self- Employment Scheme is continuing successfully and loans worth five billion rupees have so far been provided under this programme and more than two lakh 90 thousand poor families have benefitted. He said that interest-free loans have been distributed among the people purely on merit and in a transparent manner while the rate of repayment of loans is 99.8 percent.

He said that the programme of extending interest-free loans will be implemented in more effective manner in future and its scope will also be expanded so that maximum number of deserving persons could benefit. The Chief Minister issued instructions for formation of a committee headed by Provincial Finance Minister and directed the committee to submit final recommendations for the project of setting up Punjab Rozgar Bank and giving an organizational form to the programme of provision of interest-free loans as soon as possible while experts in micro financing should also be consulted for this purpose.

He said that in order to provide quality health facilities to poor families, health insurance scheme will be started in four districts of the province including Chakwal, Hafizabad, Layyah and Rajanpur which will be extended to the whole province under a phased programme. He said that under health insurance scheme, insurance cards will be issued to poor families and modern treatment facilities will be available to them in hospitals free of cost. He said that like other welfare programmes, Punjab government’s health insurance scheme will also be furthered in a transparent manner and international third party audit will be compulsory for the scheme.

The Chief Minister said that basic purpose of welfare programmes of Punjab government is to mitigate the hardships and sufferings of extremely poor families and provide them maximum relief. He said that process of provision of maximum resources for these programmes will continue in future as well.

Advisor to Prime Minister, Dr. Musadaq Malik gave briefing on health insurance scheme and the project of setting up Punjab Rozgar Bank while Director Food on Punjab Khidmat Cards. The participants of the meeting also gave proposals about these programmes.